Dataset contains 4314 incidents across 95 countries
Time period covered: 1997 to 2025Security Incidents Analysis: Global Patterns and Trends
1 Introduction
This page provides a global overview of security incidents using data from the Aid Worker Security Database. We explore geographic and temporal trends and break down key variables used in the dataset to better understand patterns of violence against humanitarian personnel.
The international analysis sets the stage before diving into individual country reports.
2 Dataset Overview
3 Global Incident Distribution
Security incidents aren’t distributed evenly across the world. Some regions experience higher concentrations due to various factors including geopolitical tensions, economic disparities, and historical conflicts. Visualizing this distribution helps us identify global patterns.
The map below displays incidents across the globe, with colors indicating the severity based on the number of people affected:
- Blue: No reported casualties
- Green: 1-5 affected individuals
- Orange: 6-20 affected individuals
- Red: More than 20 affected individuals
Clustering is used to manage dense areas where multiple incidents occurred in close proximity.
Make this Notebook Trusted to load map: File -> Trust Notebook
The interactive map reveals that incidents are highly concentrated in specific regions, especially across parts of Africa and the Middle East.
You can zoom in on specific regions and click on individual markers to get more details about each incident, such as the country, year, total affected, and attack type.
4 Temporal Trends
Security landscapes evolve over time. By examining how incident patterns change year by year, we can identify emerging hotspots and areas where security might be improving.
The animated choropleth map below shows how the distribution of security incidents has shifted over the years. Darker colors indicate higher numbers of incidents.
This visualization reveals several insights:
- The global distribution of security incidents has shifted significantly over time
- Some countries that were previously security hotspots have shown improvement
- New areas of concern have emerged in recent years
- The total number of recorded incidents shows notable year-to-year variation
You can use the play button to animate the map through time, or manually select specific years using the slider.
4.1 Annual Trends at a Glance
The chart below offers a simpler view of yearly totals across all countries, showing how global incident volume has risen over time.
The interactive bar chart shows:
- A general upward trend in reported incidents
- Distinct spikes likely linked to global conflicts or regional escalations
- Possible influence from improved data collection and reporting
Together, these visuals underscore how fluid the security landscape is—and why real-time analysis and localized response strategies matter.
5 Global Breakdown Across Key Variables
Before diving into individual country profiles, we want to first examine global trends across the key variables in the dataset—such as attack type, context, actor involvement, motive, etc. By analyzing these patterns at a global scale, we can establish an overall understanding of how security incidents are documented, what types of information are commonly missing or uncertain, and which trends emerge across countries. This foundation will help us better interpret the nuances of each country’s data in the following sections.
5.1 Types of Injuries and Their Contexts
Understanding how different attack types affect aid workers is crucial for response planning and preparedness. Each method of violence—whether gunfire, explosives, or abduction—carries unique risks and medical implications.
5.1.1 Common Attack Types
Shooting: Gunfire directed at individuals or vehicles, often during ambushes.
Kidnapping: Abduction for ransom, leverage, or forced cooperation.
Bodily Assault: Physical violence such as beatings.
Aerial Bombardment / Shelling: Explosives from air or artillery that may strike aid targets.
Kidnap-Killing: Abductions ending in execution.
Roadside / Vehicle-borne IEDs: Explosives planted on roads or in cars.
Other Explosives: Includes grenades, landmines, or suicide devices.
5.2 Attack Contexts
Understanding the context of each security incident helps identify common risk environments and inform response planning. Ambushes and individual attacks are among the most frequent, while raids and detentions reflect more organized or prolonged threats. These distinctions guide preparedness strategies, from route planning to physical site protection.
Combat/Crossfire: Occurs when aid workers are caught between opposing armed groups during active fighting.
Ambush: Sudden, premeditated attacks—often while traveling—posing high risk due to surprise and mobility.
Individual Attack: Targeted violence against specific aid workers, often outside group or convoy settings.
Raid: Coordinated intrusion into compounds or facilities with the intent to steal, intimidate, or harm.
Detention: When personnel are held—formally or informally—by state or non-state actors, sometimes for leverage.
5.3 Nationals vs. Internationals
Aid workers from local communities often face greater risks than their international counterparts. This visualization compares casualties—killed, wounded, and kidnapped—by staff category.
Nationals: Local staff face the majority of casualties, likely due to higher numbers, greater exposure, and fewer protective resources.
Internationals: Though better protected, they are often targeted for kidnapping due to political visibility or ransom value.
These differences emphasize the need for inclusive protection strategies tailored to both national and international aid workers.
5.3.1 Factors Contributing to Disparity
- Numbers and Exposure: Locals far outnumber internationals in most areas
- Access to Protection: Internationals often have enhanced security measures and evacuation options
- Targeting Patterns: Some actors specifically avoid targeting internationals due to potential international consequences
- Risk Profiles: Internationals may have more restricted movement in high-threat areas
5.3.2 Kidnapping Trends
- Kidnapping represents a relatively small proportion of overall casualties
- However, internationals face a disproportionate kidnapping risk in many contexts due to:
- Higher perceived ransom value
- Political leverage potential
- Media attention
5.3.3 Location Trends
Certain locations are consistently more vulnerable to security incidents than others. This breakdown highlights where aid workers are most at risk.
- Road: The high number of incidents on roads could be due to several factors, such as more exposure and visibility of potential targets, less controlled environment compared to other locations, vulnerable transportation of valuable goods or information, etc.
5.4 Gender Distribution of Affected Individuals
Understanding how security incidents affect different gender groups provides important insights into vulnerability patterns and protection needs.
5.4.1 Analysis of Gender Patterns
The gender distribution of individuals affected by security incidents reveals several significant patterns:
5.4.2 Male Predominance
- Males constitute the majority of individuals affected by security incidents
- The disparity may reflect different exposure levels due to gender roles in some contexts
5.4.3 Contributing Factors
- Occupational Exposure: Males may be overrepresented in certain high-risk professions. Armed groups may specifically target men for recruitment, detention, or elimination as potential threats.
- Mobility Patterns: Gender differences in freedom of movement may affect exposure to risks.
- Targeting Patterns: In some contexts, males may be specifically targeted.
- Reporting Biases: Incidents affecting females may be underreported in some settings. This data may underrepresent violence against women, particularly sexual violence, is often underreported in conflict zones due to stigma and limited access to reporting mechanisms.
6 Countries with Most Incidents: All-Time Analysis
First, let’s look at which countries have experienced the most security incidents over the entire period covered by our dataset:
This visualization highlights the countries that have historically been most affected by security incidents. Several factors might contribute to a country appearing on this list:
- Long-standing regional conflicts
- Political instability
- Higher population (which can increase the absolute number of incidents)
- More comprehensive reporting of incidents
7 Countries with Most Incidents: Recent Trends
Historical patterns don’t always reflect current realities. To identify emerging security hotspots, we need to focus on more recent data. The following analysis examines incident patterns over the past 10 years:
This recent trends analysis shows:
- Countries that have experienced deteriorating security situations in the past decade
- An Emerging hotspot (Mali) that did not appear in historical data
By comparing this visualization with the all-time analysis, we can identify significant shifts in global security patterns.
8 Conclusion
This global analysis provides a comprehensive overview of the security challenges faced by humanitarian personnel across time and geography. By breaking down patterns in attack types, contexts, affected demographics, and organizational exposure, we gain insight into the evolving nature of these risks. While some regions remain persistent hotspots, new threats continue to emerge, underscoring the need for real-time monitoring and adaptive security strategies.